But…
Just what is this Demon Lord that is rivaling Phalaris shooting a Heat Beam with the emotions of the people of the city?
In reality, it wouldn’t be strange to be turned into ashes the moment it hit you…no, with that firepower, he should have been turned into ashes.
It is an overwhelming amount of power, and yet…why is that guy able to endure such an attack by himself?
Michael had crossed both arms to the front and continued to block the Heat Beam with his whole divine power, but the very fact that he is able to block it is already nightmarish.
Why is he able to repel all the power of us humans all by himself?!
“…Don’t get conceited, humans.” (Michael)
The voice of the Demon Lord made me quiver.
“And you mysterious beast that takes the side of humans…I have somewhat understood now. Even if you are a monster just like us, you are different from us in foundation; you are something else.” (Michael)
He faces Phalaris and says this.
“You people have gathered many numbers…continued gathering…” (Michael)
Michael left a space as if searching for words, and then says…
“I can tell that you are all smashing your power at me as if centering your target. If you come at me with numbers, defeating me shouldn’t be difficult, is what you must be thinking. But you can’t be further from reality!” (Michael)
At the same time, those words were directed at me?
“If it is about the unification of the race, I am also the same. It has been a hundred years since monsters appeared in this world. In that time, how many monsters were born and killed?” (Michael)
That’s…
Several thousands? Maybe millions?
“The destination of all those dead monsters…was me! The summit that was born from the death of millions, there’s no way a few thousand of you humans will be able to break through me!!” (Michael)
Oi, wait! You must be kidding!
That Michael is pushing through the Heat Beam of Phalaris as if he were going upstream!!
Not only is he not getting pinned in place by that heat, he is actually pushing it back?!
(Y-You…!)
The distance between the Demon Lord and Phalaris was shortening steadily!
This is bad!
“Master! Is the preparation of Grand Melt still not done yet?!” (Mirack)
“Let there be hot-bloodedness.” (Enou)
Damn it, it will take it a bit more!
The fire militants were divided in two with the arrival of Phalaris, the right-wing and left-wing were each making a Grand Melt, and were preparing to shoot from both sides.
The power will be halved, but we can clam the Demon Lord with two big fire dragons from both sides.
Grand Melt from the sides by the fire militants, and a Heat Beam from the front by Phalaris!
(Guuooo!! As I thought, compensating the ‘Fire God Path’ destroyed by Entropy with just the prayers of humans is just…!!)
“Looks like you are at your limit huh. Then, I will begin the blood fest with you.” (Michael)
In the blink of an eye, Michael had arrived right in front of Phalaris.
Just like in the past with Haine, he was once again being beaten up by Michael.
(Guaagh!)
“Too bad, but there’s not much time I can take on you. I will be crushing you right this instant!” (Michael)
*Bam! *Bam! *Bam! *Bam! *Bam! *Bam! *Bam! *Bam! *Bam!*
The hammer punch that felt as if it could destroy a castle wall was hitting Phalaris continuously.
With that, he won’t be able to shoot a Heat Beam again. Even if he could, at such close range, it would…!
“Mirack-oneesama!”
“The preparations for both shots of Grand Melt are ready!”
Braidley and Glassfin came to tell me, but with Michael and Phalaris in such close proximity of each other, we will end up hitting them both.
“…Damn it! What am I hesitating for?!” (Mirack)
In the first place, Phalaris should be a hated monster as well, right?!
But it looks like there were others with conflicting feelings like mine, and the Grand Melt that had taken so much effort was still hovering in the air.
(What are you doing, you idiots! Shoot those fireworks already!!)
Eh?
(The small girl over there! Looks like Inflation has done something to you. If you can hear my voice, quickly take me out with him! Burn this conceited fried chicken bastard together with me!)
Then, the owner of this voice is actually you, Phalaris!
But you…!
(This body is just a temporal one anyways! When destroyed, my soul will simply return to its rightful place. I would be relieved to be released from this noisy lower-bound world!)
!
(Also, this problematic giant man, after punching for two or three more times, I feel like I will sink. Seriously, what strength. It surpasses the expectations of even his creator!)
…!!
What has to be done has been decided.
Phalaris won’t be able to hang on any longer. That’s why there’s one thing that should be done.
I run from my place and rush towards Michael.
“Haaaaaah!!” (Mirack)
Using that momentum, I punch him on the face.
As always, there was no damage, but I managed to stop his pummeling of Phalaris.
“You…” (Michael)
“Have you gone senile, Demon Lord Michael! I am your opponent!!” (Mirack)
I went in between Michael and Phalaris, and push out my fist.
(You…You idiot!!!)
This cow, to think that he had such a rotten tongue.
But don’t underestimate humans. Owing you such a big one, there’s no way my pride as a human will allow me to bid farewell like this.
As a follower of the Fire God Nova, as someone who fights shouldering the prestige of Nova-sama, there’s no way I would act in a way that would lower his name with such a lack of duty and resolve!
“……But well…” (Mirack)
As expected, I will be dying with this.
It has been a chain of unexpected events so I was about to forget it but, the difference between Michael and I is on a level that can’t be done anything about.
I don’t think I can last a single instant upfront against him.
(…What a hopeless one.)
Eh?
(I thought I wouldn’t be doing as Inflation wanted no matter what, but now that it has come to this, it can’t be helped. The preparations for that have already been done after all. That’s why you can hear my voice.)
Huh?
What do you mean?
(Inflation must have done something when we were at the Wind capital. It means that preparations for you to receive a part of me have already been done. In that case, just turn already!!)
Turn? Into what?
(Into the Fire God Hero!!)
“That’s as far as you go!” (Michael)
Michael’s tone was filled with certainty of his victory.
“The desperate efforts of humans that surpassed expectations. This was a battle that I also learned a lot from. But I have to finish it already. My victory comes with the eradication of you humans.” (Michael)
I couldn’t say anything.
Instead of an answer, I presented him a punch.
My punch that until now had not been able to hurt Michael’s body even once until now.
Michael must also know that as well, he didn’t show signs of reacting and simply took on the punch with his face.
And then…
“Guaaa?!” (Michael)
The impact made the Demon Lord retreat three steps back.
The Demon Lord wobbled!
“What?! What was that strength just now?” (Michael)
The Demon Lord mutters out of confusion.
“It was completely different from the ones until now! Are you telling me a human has dealt an attack strong enough to push back a Demon Lord?! A mere human?!” (Michael)
“Hoh, that’s unexpected.” (Mirack)
“?!”
My words made Michael react.
“What do you mean by unexpected?” (Michael)
“I just thought that a Demon Lord is actually a different existence from monsters. To think that a monster could bleed.” (Mirack)
“?!”
“Moreover, it is the same red blood as us.” (Mirack)
“?!!”
Michael was letting out blood from his nose due to the punch he received.
Bright red blood from that crushed nose of his.
He must have noticed the wet sensation himself. Michael touched below his nose and was stunned by the red liquid smeared there.
“Blood?! Impossible! I was injured?! I, a Demon Lord that stands as the summit of monsters, has been injured by the attack of a mere human?!” (Michael)
“That’s reality.” (Mirack)
If you can’t accept that reality, you will be receiving a lot more injuries from now on.
By the hands of this Katack Mirack that has been powered up by something I don’t understand!
(It is not a hard to understand power! By obtaining a part of a God, you have obtained power close to that of a God. Also, you are not a hero! Right now you are an existence that has become one with a God – a God Hero!)
The cow is making a ruckus in the back.
The moment I received something from him, I obtained a power I have never experienced before and it flowed inside my body.
I was pushed by that power and, when I tried swinging my fist, I easily send the Demon Lord flying.
Incredible…overwhelming. This sense of enhancement that felt as if I am not me anymore.
If it is now, I feel like I can defeat even a Demon Lord!
(Even if you have gotten stronger, don’t get cocky! T-This is tough! To think that there would be so much burden to the God when the God Hero is activated! It was a system that only the God gets the burden of the human prayer energy?!)
It looks like the cow is quickly losing breath, but it is true that I have now kind of understood —the reason why I got stronger.
The heart power that was being poured into the cow until now, was being poured into me through the cow.
So this is the reason for the power-up.
Right now, I am using the emotions of people and turning them into power.
“Oooooh!!” (Mirack)
Fire bursts out from my body along with my roar.
It was as if each pore in my body had become a crater.
The bursting out flame stayed around my body like a veil -as if I myself had become fire.
It was already not only in power, even my looks had changed to something that had surpassed a hero.
This is the so called a hero close to a God that the cow talks about? The God Hero?!
With the flames cladding my body, the burst speed I received increased as well. I take one step and the sole of my feet exploded, giving me a boost.
“Guuugh?!” (Michael)
This time, a punch to the stomach.
Being hit, Michael once again does five steps back.
“What in the world is going on?! Why did a human get such a sudden increase in power?!” (Michael)
“I will teach you one thing about humans! Humans are incredibly stubborn!” (Mirack)
Persisting over and over, no matter how dire the situation, eventually this leads to a new path.
We have been saved many times in the past like that.
Along with my comrades, my benefactors, and the many weak people I must protect!
“Right now, my body has an uncountable amount of human emotions flowing in me. Those emotions are changing into power and making me stronger. Demon Lord Michael —it is a strength powerful enough to defeat you!” (Mirack)
I wouldn’t have been able to reach such power if I was still my past self, who only thought about getting stronger alone.
Karen had corrected my error.
Celestis, Sasae, and Hyue walked together with me.
Master and Sis Kyouka acknowledged a conceited junior like me.
That’s why I was able to get all the way here.
(Please remember that it was because of my help!)
The emotions of the cow were also flowing into me, but there’s a more pressing matter right now.
“Demon Lord Michael, I already won’t lose to you!” (Mirack)
I will win. I must win.
That’s all there is to it.
The emotions of the people –hope, trust, expectations, courage– all of those were changing directly into strength and won’t allow me to fall.
The wishes of the people are passing through me and were directly filling me.
“They are imploring me to defeat you and to save them from peril!” (Mirack)
Their wishes took form, and I will make them reality.
That’s what a God Hero is.
“Mirack-oneesama, incredible!”
“Just what in the world is going on?”
“Let there be hot-bloodedness?” (Enou)
It looks like the Fire Militants in the battlefield also couldn’t help but get dumbfounded by this sudden development.
Sis Kyouka, Master, the three girls, and the other fire militants had already finished the preparations of Grand Melt a long time ago and were stiffened just like that.
But that’s fine. Just let those emotions boil and watch Katack Mirack defeat the Demon Lord!
(What you are receiving as a God Hero is not only the prayers of humans towards a God, but prayers to yourself. The trust and expectations from the people towards you as a hero are poured into your body as energy and turned into power!)
The cow says.
(God and hero, the emotions of humans coming from these two symbols become one! That power is not on the level of a few hundreds! It is on the level of tens of thousands! That’s why it is possible for a God Hero to hold power close to that of a God! …In exchange, the emotions of fear, jealousy, and envy all go to the God instead though…ah, this is tough…)
It looks like he is in pain, but what he means is that while I am in this form, the cow will be in incredible pain.
It also means that he won’t be able to maintain it for long.
I have to seal the fight immediately.
“…Fine.” (Michael)
One step, two steps, three steps…
Michael walks forward as if recovering the steps he was made to retreat. And then, he was once again in front of me.
He stood tall, covering my whole vision with that big body of his.
“You again seem to be worthy of being taken seriously. On the same level as that Kuromiya Haine.” (Michael)
“So you are treating me the same as him huh.” (Mirack)
I suppose I will take that as an honor.
“I am the Demon Lord!!” (Michael)
Michael yells.
“Standing at the summit of all monsters, I will open up a new era for monsters, the leader of the demons! The fire Demon Lord that rules over the fire inside of you, Michael!!!” (Michael)
“““?!””””
All the people there curled their bodies at the voice that was akin to that of an explosion.
The vibrations in the air caused by his voice felt as if they were hitting my cheeks.
Well, not felt, it literally did.
And everyone there thought this ‘we knew a long time ago who this guy is’…that’s why we are all getting confused.
Why is he stating this again now when we already know that?
“…”
I soon understood why.
“…I am Katack Mirack. The fire hero chosen by the Fire Church, Katack Mirack!!” (Mirack)
I have not introduced myself to Michael once yet.
Because of my own feeling of weakness, I didn’t have the qualification to.
The reason why Michael introduced himself was due to the most basic etiquette when asking the name of the other party.
I have finally gained the qualification for my name to be reminded by the Demon Lord.
“Then, Katack Mirack…” (Michael)
The Lord of burning wing flames speaks my name for the first time.
“…I will crush you.” (Michael)
“Wrong. I will be kicking your ass.” (Mirack)
I have finally been recognized as a proper enemy of the Demon Lord Michael.
The now serious Michael placed both of his hammer-like arms together directed at me.
“Hmm!!” (Michael)
Along with a rise in divine power that was akin to a subterranean rumbling, his body began to have a visible change.
The fire wings of Michael -that are basically his symbol- became thin and long to the point that they didn’t retain their original form, turning into something like that of a fire sash, coiling around both of the arms of Michael.
The right and left wings wrapped around his respective arms, and his steel fists had now become burning fire hammers.
I thought that the fire wings of Michael were wings clad in fire, but that wasn’t the case; it is fire itself that had taken form into wings. That’s why it can show such a drastic transformation.
“…For us Demon Lords, strength is everything. This technique that uses my wings, which are a mass of divine power, can be called the ultimate technique of this Demon Lord Michael.” (Michael)
Michael says this as he points out his arms covered on his fire wings.
“I was thinking of using this ‘Phoenix Hammer’ on Kuromiya Haine only, but you have done well in making me use them on you.” (Michael)
“…I see. If you are going to be welcoming me so extravagantly, I will have to give you a fitting present as well… Ignis Militant corps!!” (Mirack)
I call to my comrades that had parted to the sides and were watching over the battle.
Sorry, but it looks like I will be having you help me this once.
“Shoot the readied Grand Melt at me!!” (Mirack)
“Haah?!”
“What are you saying, Mirack-oneesama?! Are you insane?!”
Hearing this, Braidley and my other juniors were doubting their ears, but it is a given. In the first place, Grand Melt is the strongest destructive attack of the Ignis Militant corps.
I am telling them to throw that giant fire dragon that was made with the divine power of all the fire militants for the sake of defeating the Demon Lord.
You would think I am being suicidal.
But…
“It is okay. Just do as I instructed!” (Mirack)
I assured success to my comrades that I have fought together with in this desperate battle.
“Let there be hot-bloodedness!!” (Enou)
The first one to follow me was my master, the Fire Founder.
As expected of Master. He trusts in his disciple more than anyone.
The giant fire dragon was shot along with the order of the Founder.
““[Grand Melt]!””
The Ignis Militants had separated in two with the arrival of Phalaris, and made a Grand Melt each to hit Michael from both sides. The two big fire dragons that were coming at me from both sides, I receive them with both of my arms.
“Right Fire Fist, Fernando! Left Fire Fist, Barbarossa!!” (Mirack)
Both arms that received the big fire dragon burned vigorously, and I soon finished controlling the fire that my comrades made.
“Oooh!”
It is because I am their hero that I was able to easily receive their power.
“On top of that, add the power of the God Hero to it, and…utilize the strongest Flame Burst I can release……I call it Pleiades Burst!!” (Mirack)
With both of my arms that have giant flames rivalling that of Phalaris, I put them together facing Michael.
These flaming arms that drew the shape of two buffalo horns.
This posture of placing both hands together and directing it at your opponent, it was the very same for both of us.
“…I will decide this with this one attack.” (Michael)
“Stole those words right out of my mouth!” (Mirack)
The pair of wings of Michael, my two horns; which one will be breaking first. This is the time to decide that.
We both at the same time charged at their opponent.
“[Phoenix Hammer]!!!” (Michael)
“[Pleiades Burst]!!!” (Mirack)
Both fists clad in fire clashed left and right, and become hellfire.
A fierce hell of sweltering heat rose up to this world of the living.
